“There was an anonymous tip called in from an untraceable phone number about an hour ago.”
“A burner phone?” I asked.
SSA Walker nodded his head. “Most likely a prepaid cell phone. We might be able to check which tower the call came from, but finding the owner will be next to impossible. I will still want every store in town checked for any recent purchases.” He eyed the team. “I want the information no later than this afternoon.” We all nodded our agreement. “We can ask the Police Chief for help on this. The local guys will know better who sells them.”
“We found a hair on the body,” a technician called out.
We all moved closer, the five of us ducking under the yellow tape and stopping just outside the area where the body was lying. It was my first real look at the victim, and I couldn’t hold back a gasp.
The poor woman had been filleted down to the bone in several areas, including her thighs, arms, and her cheeks. Her stomach had been sliced to the point I was surprised her entrails were still inside her body. It was obvious that she had been killed recently since rigor mortis was present.
“She was killed sometime late last night,” I said quietly. It took around twelve hours for a body to fully stiffen and would stay that way for another twelve hours or so before slowly loosening up again. I looked at my phone. “It’s nine thirty. She doesn’t look fully stiff yet.”
One of the techs looked up at my words. “Body temperature is 85.7 degrees. It’s been in the sixties. That puts the time of death between 11 pm and 1 am. If she’s been out here the whole time.”
“He washes them first.” I looked at SSA Walker. “That would take at least an hour or two before she was placed outside. Time of death could potentially be moved closer to 12 am to 2 am if she was in a warmer environment before being dumped.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us at this point.”
I could see the frustration on everyone’s faces. “What kind of hair did you find? I asked the technician, who looked up at me with a smile. “Looks human. Small. Curly. Kinda thicker than head hair. Of course, we won’t know for sure until it’s processed.”
I shuddered at the thought of what a short curly hair would mean. I was already aware of what the killer did with the women he kidnapped, tortured, and killed. It was every woman’s worst nightmare. Being sliced up was bad enough, but that?
“Alright, we’re done here.” The crime scene technicians each stood up and backed away, evidence bags sealed and secured in a case for transportation. A large man with a long gray beard and a round stomach stepped forward. I assumed he was the coroner who would take possession of the body.
My team also moved forward, along with Ry, who came to stand by my shoulder. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath, and I had to agree with him.
SSA Walker was right. The victim was definitely different from the previous ones. Her body type and hair still fit the profile. She still had a fit, athletic build with dark blonde hair that could almost be called brown. I couldn’t see what color her eyes were, but I could take a guess that they were either blue, green, or a lighter hazel.
She was posed, similar to how the other five women had been, only instead of one hand used to conceal or protect her intimate areas, both were used to display her openly. One leg was pulled up, her hand resting on her thigh as if she were holding herself open for viewing. The other hand was just under her breast, almost as if the killer wanted us to imagine her cupping it in offering.
I clenched my hands and took a deep breath to calm the rage I felt brewing inside. It wasn’t enough to beat, torture, and rape. The killer had chosen to debase her even in death. I thought of the previous poses that seemed almost sensual, as if they could have been used in a boudoir photoshoot. This was nothing like that. There was no attempt at protecting her dignity.
It was an extreme escalation, and I couldn’t stop my mind from racing, wondering what had set him off.
Chapter 12
Parker
It had been a long, tiring day. Half of it had been spent going to every grocery store, gas station, and pharmacy. Literally any store that could potentially sell prepaid phones had been visited in town and the surrounding area. There weren’t many places in the county large enough to carry phones. Since Selene was the biggest town, most people drove there to do most of their shopping. But there were still several gas stations and small convenience stores to check along the back roads.
After splitting the task among several local officers and our team, we headed back to the station to review the latest information. There wasn’t much to add yet, unfortunately. All we knew for certain was that the killer was escalating and that the damage he’d caused seemed less controlled and more rage filled.
I groaned, and I cracked my neck as Ry pulled through the gates of the ranch and drove slowly up the long drive.
“Hey,” he glanced over at me. “You okay?”
I nodded, then shook my head, then sighed. “I’m fine. Just frustrated. I can’t help but worry that the killer is going to findhis next victim soon. What he did to that woman…” I shook my head again.
Ry placed his right hand on my thigh and gave it a small squeeze. “We can’t let that kind of thinking take over. The worry will eat you alive, and then it will turn into guilt. You can’t do that to yourself, Parker.” I knew he was right, but there wasn’t anything I could do to stop myself from going down that road.
He removed his hand as he pulled up outside my cabin. I missed the heat of it being there immediately, even as I cursed myself for thinking it.
He turned slightly in his seat to face me just as I put my hand on the handle to climb out. “Hey, we have a pool in the backyard. It’s heated. Maybe swimming some laps will help you get your mind off the case.”
“I can’t stop thinking about the case, Ry,” I said in surprise at his suggestion. “The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can stop him. He’s probably out there right now searching for his next victim if he doesn’t have one already.”
“Parker,” he said softly while reaching out to graze a finger over my cheek. “I love that you care about the victims so much, but you have to allow yourself time away from the case, too.”
